Singapore: Gardens by the Bay

After we checked-in in our hotel, I decided to take my son, Pete, to the Gardens by the Bay. The Gardens by the Bay are a colossal futuristic lush delight, located right by the waterfront of Marina Bay. It was built in 2012 as part of Singapore government’s will of making Singapore a “City of Garden”.

Gardens by the Bay

The Gardens by the Bay are huge – about 101 hectares. They house more than 217,000 plants from over 800 different species. It is Singapore’s largest urban outdoor recreation area and a must-visit if you are in the city.

Gardens by the Bay

The Gardens by the Bay offer lots of things to do and to see for everyone. It has two air-conditioned conservatories – the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest Dome. The domes are unique as they are energy efficient and the buildings are designed to minimize the environmental footprint.

Gardens by the Bay

We started our visit at one of the highlights of the Gardens by the Bay – the OCBC Skyway. It is 22 meters high and 128 meters long. Unfortunately, it was closed for construction when we went there. However, we wandered around the ground area in the evening and enjoyed taking photographs.

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

From there, we strolled toward the Flower Dome where beautiful flowers from around the world are displayed, and also exotic plants from five continents across seven different gardens. Apparently, it is the world’s largest glass greenhouse. As we entered the dome, we were welcomed by Santa Claus. And as we ambled inside the dome, we spied a restaurant in the middle of an olive grove that serves modern European cuisine. It was beautiful and colorful and very Christmas-sy! Pete and I loved it.

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Then we headed to the Cloud Forest Dome. It was superb! We were greeted by the world’s 2nd biggest indoor waterfall (35 meters tall) as we came into this dome. As we got closer to it, the waterfall droplets cooled us down. It felt like we stepped into dense, foggy and luxuriant tropical jungle and lost in a mystical world.

Gardens by the Bay

We just followed the path. We went around and up the huge green Cloud Mountain. We noticed that we were already at the Cloud Walk. We both liked it, though and the view from this walk was spectacular. We also enjoyed the Treetop Walk. It was cool. We went through the tunnel of green plants and into a canopy walk with stunning views.

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Subsequently, we passed by the Secret Garden that consists of limestone forests and caves. Here, we enjoyed the miniature orchids because they were so tiny that their blooms can only be seen through a magnifying glass. It was cute and fantastic!

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Later, we got into the Crystal Mountain Cave. It showcased different shapes of real stalactites and stalagmites. Finally, our tour at the Cloud Forest Dome ended at the Cloud Forest Theater, where we watched a short film about how everyone can contribute to conserving nature in order to obtain a more sustainable world and future.

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

From the Cloud Forest Dome, we sauntered to Supertree Grove where we had fun watching the Garden Rhapsody light and sound show – the stunning Supertrees covered with about 163,000 plants lit up in a spectacular light with a wonderful music.

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

The Gardens by the Bay offer something for everyone. If you are into beautiful flowers and gardens and plant life from around the world, awesome high-tech technology or magnificent architecture, then Gardens by the Bay is the right place for you. Certainly, we had a very enjoyable experience and a splendid evening there. It was well worth a visit.

Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay

Little Lilly travel tips:

• The Gardens by the Bay is open from 9.00AM to 9.00PM.
• The ticket price (Flower Dome + Cloud Forest Dome):
  • adult → S$28 (USD 20)
  • children (3 to 12 years old) → S$15 (USD 11)
• The ticket price of OCBC Skyway:
  • adult → S$8 (USD 5)
  • children (8 to 12 years old) → USD 4
• The Supertrees Light show is from 7.45PM to 8.45PM, and it is FREE.
• The Supertree Grove is open from 5AM to 2AM of the following day every day.

 

 

 

Taste of Home: Mango Tart

Cambodia is blessed with many tropical fruits, and one of our favorites is mango. Cambodian mangoes are among the best in the world. So, every mango season, which runs from March to May, I make Mango Float, it’s one of our favorite Filipino desserts.

Mango Tart

However, while I was preparing the ingredients for Mango Float, a new culinary idea has crossed my mind – to create something that combine mango float and a pastry crust. Hence, the creation of my incredibly impressive Mango Tart. The recipe turned out well the first time I made it. The tart was so damn good – with the juiciest mangoes you can imagine, with gorgeously almond yogurt orange creamy filling, and with a crunchy flaky delicious crust.

For my Mango Tart recipe, I used fresh and ripe mangoes, fresh cream, fresh orange juice, honey, blanched almond flour and a homemade pastry crust. I baked the crust first, then filled it with homemade almond yogurt orange pastry cream. After that, I laid the thin ripe mango slices – slice after slice – around and inwards towards the center, and made an amazingly luscious tart. It is attractive to the eye and it is pleasing to the plate.

This tart is definitely the most perfect treat to make for the beginning of summer. I hope you all enjoy it the way my family and I do.

Mango Tart

What you will need for the crust:

• 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 large fresh chicken egg
• 20 grams of salted butter at room temperature
• ¼ cup of cold water

What you will need for the filling:

• 3 large ripe mangoes, cut into thin slices
• 20 cL fresh thick cream
• 2 tbsp honey
• fresh orange juice of ½ orange fruit
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 3 tbsp organic plain yogurt
• 2 tbsp blanched almond flour
• 2 oz cream cheese, softened

Mango Tart

How to make it?

1. Make the crust.

• In a mixing bowl, put the flour, butter and sugar. Mix well.
• In a separate small bowl, cracked the egg to make sure that it’s a good one and to remove eggshells. Then put it into the mixture. Mix well.
• Add the cold water little by little until you get the desired consistency. Mix well.
• Form into a big ball. Then wrap it with a plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes while you are preparing the fillings.
• After you refrigerate it, flour the surface of the working area.
• Roll it out to your desired thickness. Make sure the edges extend a couple of inches beyond the 9-inch tart plate. Then lay it on the tart plate.
• Bake it for 10 minutes at 175⁰C.

2. Make the filling.

• In a mixing bowl, put the cream, honey, fresh orange juice, yogurt, orange zest, cream cheese, and almond flour. Mix and make sure that it is not too liquid-y and everything is well combined.
• Peel the ripe mangoes. Then slice the mangoes into thin slices.

3. Put it together.

• Spread the almond yogurt orange pastry cream evenly on the baked pastry crust.
• Starting from the outer edge of the baked pastry crust, place the mango wedges in a circular pattern, making full rotations all the way to the center, forming a beautiful flower.
• Chill the mango tart for at least an hour and a half.

4. Serve, share and enjoy!